


Memory Restoration

by Wherever_Girl



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, Rhys is Handsome Jack's VP, Vaughn gets a role here, total and complete au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:22:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25922779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wherever_Girl/pseuds/Wherever_Girl
Summary: Rhys: And ONCE AGAIN, I'm put into a bad situation and need help.Jack: Wow, it's like this chick stalks you or something.Rhys: Don't start--- oh, hey, Vaughn is in this too.Vaughn (off screen): What?![Prompt: Rhys ends up kidnapped and having his cybernetics hacked by a virus that wipes his memory. After his rescue, Jack and Vaughn spend a night helping him remember who he is, what he's done, and why he likes socks so much.]
Relationships: Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 49





	1. Drawing a Blank

**Author's Note:**

> Just ignore the fact that I can't write Jack as a total asshole, as well as how I don't quite know how interactions between him and Vaughn would go, and enjoy the fluffy setup.
> 
> PoisonJack and NessiefromSpace, I tip my hat to your good works once more. 
> 
> Disclaimer: All rights belong to Gearbox, 2K and Telltale Games.

_He did not know where he was._

_He did not know how he got here._

_All he knew was these people wanted to hurt him. Bad._

_Maybe even kill him._

_‘Rhys’ was his name. That was all he knew right now._

_The rest of his memory was fuzzy._

_He tried to escape. He found himself surrounded._

_Suddenly there came gunfire. Everyone was in a frenzy. Someone tried to drag him away, but an exploding grenade from behind blew them back. He scrambled back into a corner, hyperventilating._

_The chaos died down, and someone approached him. A familiar face._

_A familiar… masked… face._

_It was at that moment Rhys passed out._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Footsteps echoed the hallway of the hospital as the CEO paced, arms crossed. He suffered a few wounds, but compared to his Vice President they were nothing but scratches. And yet these paranoid doctors had felt that if they did not tend to _Handsome Jack_ immediately they would get shot in a face; it wasn’t until he bellowed at them to shut up and listen than he told them that something was wrong with Rhys and they had five seconds to give him a thorough examination!

Vaughn sat in one of the chairs, his knees shaking as he clutched a cup of coffee. He had come along with Jack in the rescue mission; since he was Rhys’ best friend, it was practically an obligation for him—only a total dick would just stay home and wait for results. He was short, weak, and squealed at the drop of a pencil, but his work with computers proved useful as he managed to dig up some files that helped with some negotiations that led to them finding Rhys.

Jack looked at the clock. It had been three hours since they had come in, and it was early dawn. Neither of them had slept since they returned to Helios. “Hey,” he said to Vaughn, rolling his eyes when the accountant gave a yelp and spilled a bit of his coffee during his jolt. “Why don’t you go home? You look like hell,”

Vaughn released a sigh. “N-Not yet, sir… I mean, I need to know if Rhys will be okay. We’re… we’re bros, y’know?” he replied, with a shaky breath. “The most I can do now is just be here,”

Jack shook his head, smirking in disbelief. If he had loyal friends like Rhys did, chances are his body count would be a lot lower. …Or higher, depending if he cared about them as much as Vaughn cared about Rhys--- the shrimp was willing to brave a bandit’s hideout and get shot for his sake!

Then again, he wasn’t the only one.

Jack continued his pacing. “Dammit, I thought I told those doctors to keep me updated every hour. What’s taking so long?!” he muttered.

“Handsome Jack… sir?” Vaughn spoke up, awkwardly. “Um, I-I appreciate all you’ve done, and I know Rhys will too--- hell, he’d be ecstatic, as much as he respects you and stuff, still has your poster and everything…”

The CEO gave him an impatient look. “Spit it out, kid, my clothes are going out of style!”

Vaughn gulped. “I-I-I’m just wondering… w-why are you still here? I-I know Rhys is your Vice President, but…”

“What, you think I don’t give a shit about my Vice President? If these quacks end up fouling something up and Rhys is out of commission, it’ll be a nightmare to find a replacement!”

“I’m sorry! It’s just… I’ve never heard of you staying overnight in a hospital for one of your workers, before.”

Jack kept himself composed. If this guy wasn’t his Vice President’s best friend, a damn good accountant, or proved his loyalty throughout the mission, he’d be sending him to the ER just for some peace and quiet. “Then get to work spreading those rumors, idiot. Can’t have my staff thinking Handsome Jack just dumps his best workers off at the infirmary and calls it a day.”

“Oh, um.. y-yes sir…”

“Plus…” Jack crossed his arms, looking out the window. “Rhys isn’t just another worker. You of all people should know that,”

“R-Right! Um…”

“It would be a good idea to stop the conversation there, Vince.”

“Er, it’s Vaughn--- um, okay.” Vaughn fell silent after that.

A doctor walked over within that moment. “Handsome Jack?” she asked. “I have a report on Mister Strongfork.”

“Finally! What took you so long?” Jack replied with an exasperated sigh; Vaughn stood up and walked with them, the doctor leading them down the hall.

“I’m sorry for the wait, sir, but it was quite a process. It appears that, during his kidnapping, someone unleashed a virus into his cybernetics. We call it the ‘Blank Space’ virus; it is normally used to wipe out data from computers, but it has been found that those who have ECHO-implants like your Vice President can fall victim to them as well. They affect the mind, mainly, ending up erasing their memories--- thankfully it’s only temporary when the cybernetics are removed and replaced.”

“So, Rhys will be okay, right?” Vaughn questioned.

“Once we finish replacing his parts, yes. He will still suffer a bit of memory loss, but once he gets his bearings his mind should clear up, and he’ll be back to normal. …Or suffer severe brain damage and become a vegetable.”

Jack gave her a glare. “You had BETTER hope it’s the first one!” he growled.

The doctor paled a bit. “Y-Yes, sir. Um… you can take him home this afternoon. I highly recommend he stay with someone for the time being. Preferably, someone he is close to, it may help jog his memory.”

Jack and Vaughn looked at each other. “Well… we’re roommates, and have known each other for a while,” the shorter of the two men spoke up, but seemed uncertain. “Problem is, Yvette said the video feed caught those creepers stalking Rhys to and from work; if there’s a chance some of them are still around, it might not be safe for us to go back.”

“Then come to my place. I got turrets that shoot anyone lurking around my penthouse.” Jack offered… wait, did he just say that?

Vaughn looked at him, surprised. “R… Really, sir?”

Jack kept his cool front, folding his hands behind his head. “Hey, you proved your loyalty, and Rhys would probably feel comfortable having his bestie around, you obviously can’t afford the risk of staying at a hotel… plus, seeing my face will probably help speed along the process, as memorable as I am.”

“Er, t-thank you, Handsome Jack!”

“I will let you know when he’s ready to go.” The doctor confirmed.

While they waited for Rhys to wake up, Jack felt it was only fair to show Vaughn his penthouse (let alone strictly inform him what was off-limits, while threatening to send him to a Psycho-infested town on Pandora if he messed with anything). He showed him to one of the spare guest bedrooms, and it did not surprise him in the slightest when the shorter man listened to his order to lie down and get some sleep.

Vaughn was still asleep when it was time to go pick up Rhys; Jack decided not to wait and went to get the Vice President. The cyborg was still asleep as well, the doctors saying he had been sedated in order to help with the implants (now a golden color, wow), as he would be a bit sore for the next few hours, and insisted he wake up on his own accord so he wouldn’t have any severe panic attacks.

Rhys was still asleep when he was taken to the penthouse, and Jack found an old shirt and pajama pants to slip him into before lying him down in the second guest room; Rhys was still asleep when Vaughn woke up. Jack told him the doctors advised they not wake him up, keeping the cyborg’s door slightly ajar in order to help muffle any sounds so he could rest undisturbed.

They ate takeout in an awkward silence. They turned on a movie; Vaughn eased up a little, just enough to tell him how the film had a remake coming out, and the two of them conversed about what film genres they preferred, before the conversation ran out and the silence returned. When the movie was over with, it was late.

Vaughn went back to his room, deciding he would catch up on some work that no doubt had piled up since he was away; Jack decided to do the same.

The CEO sat on his bed with his ECHO-pad. He had emails, missed calls, text messages, and voicemails to sort through since he left on the rescue mission--- mainly business deals, project reports, documents that needed looked over, recommendations that needed his input, or just spam. Mostly it was spam (damn online bots).

Being so busy, he did not realize until the last minute that Rhys woke up.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_He had a meeting with… someone… (who?)_

_He had to meet them in Triton Flats… or was it Serenity’s Waste? …Where were_ those _places, even?_

_He had been drinking something… it tasted funny… and it dawned on him that the drink was spiked, and then…_

_He woke up, with no memory._

_Just his name, and the urgency to escape._

_…_

_His mind was blank now, bits and pieces of memory still so far away._

_All he could recall was being frightened… and then everything went black._

Rhys gasped, sitting up and taking in a deep breath. He looked around the room he was in; the bed was soft and comfortable, there was a window that gave an excellent view of a planet (…Pandora? Was that it?), and a TV on the wall above a large dresser. Compared to the place he had just been, it didn’t feel like he was in danger anymore… but he wasn’t about to relax until he was absolutely sure.

Standing up, he walked over to a door, finding it was a closet with a mirror on the door. Looking at his reflection, he gave a mild jolt to find that he had been put in a T-shirt that was much too large for him, as well as some baggy flannel pants. The outfit was comfortable, of course, but it unsettled him as he recalled being in a tattered blazer and torn jeans last time he checked.

He looked at his feet, finding yellow socks with little blue H’s printed on them were on his feet. The ‘H’ stood for… something… Hyper, uh… Hyperactive? Hyperbole? Hyperion? _Hyperion!_ That’s it! …but what was Hyperion?

He curled and uncurled his toes… for some reason, he really liked the socks…

Rhys shook his head. Now was not the time to marvel in cozy footwear! He had to figure out where he was and how he got here!

Walking over to the door, he peeked out… and found his vision literally scanning the area! He stifled a yelp, blinking a few times until the scanning screen in his vision disappeared, taking another deep breath. What WAS that?! And how did he do it?! He rubbed his head, only to pause and look at his metal palm. Oh, that’s right, he was a cyborg.

Thinking back, he recalled being blind in one eye and felt like only one arm worked… in fact, those parts were blue, and these ones were gold. Had his old cybernetics been damaged and in need of replacement? And if so, who replaced them?

Rhys wrapped his arms around himself. He looked out again, scanning the area. It was a large living room, filled with luxuries that cost an arm and a leg (…literally, in some cases!), and the area was vacant. He inched out, slowly stepping into the vast room.

There was another bedroom next to his, the door ajar. He peered in, seeing a small man lying in bed, an ECHO-pad lying on his stomach, his head tilted back as he was snoring, the glasses on his face crooked. His ECHO-eye scanned the man, learning his name was ‘Vaughn’, he was an accountant on Hyperion (whatever that was), and--- as the scanner showed--- was his ‘bro’.

Rhys scratched his head. His mind was still fuzzy… but he felt that this man was not really dangerous--- actually, something inside told him that Vaughn was hardly a threat at all. Quite the opposite in fact, as the term ‘bro’ also meant ‘best friend’. The cyborg began to step into the room, to see if his ‘bro’ could tell him anything.

Vaughn gave off a loud snort in his sleep, startling Rhys and making him back-track out of the room. He took several deep breaths. He looked back in, finding Vaughn curled up into a pillow, and decided not to disturb his slumber. Vaughn was his friend, sure, but Rhys wasn’t sure how friendly he would be if he were woken up at… (what time did the clock say?) …One-thirty in the morning!

The amnesiac backed away from the door; perhaps he should look around a bit more, first. He looked around the apartment (no, penthouse… right?), finding a kitchen nearby, a large bathroom with a tub that could probably fit ten people, and a bedroom door that was slightly ajar.

Walking over, Rhys could hear someone talking. The voice sounded familiar…

...

_“…Rhys! Fuck, kiddo, are you okay?!”_

…

“…yeah, sure, just notify his next of kin--- and for God’s sake, don’t let any interns get too close to the cages! The company can only afford so many replacements!” the man was saying into the phone.

Rhys gently pushed the door open. He looked at the older man; he recognized him as the last person he saw before he passed out. But… he knew him from somewhere else too…

_Jack… Handsome Jack._

Hearing the door creak open, Jack looked over, and Rhys paused in uncertainty. “…I’ll handle it on Monday.” He said before hanging up; he gave the younger man a grin. “Hey, hey, Sleeping Beauty. How ya feeling?”

Rhys rubbed his flesh arm, shifting; Jack was looking at an ECHO-pad, not really paying attention to him.

“The doc said your memory would be clearing up soon. You gave everyone quite a scare, kiddo--- apparently those quote-unquote ‘business dealers’ were just some assholes hired to steal Hyperion goods… mainly, you. They planned on selling you to the highest bidder; turns out they were hired by a rival company who wanted to see to it we lost one important asset after another--- y’know, kidnap you, make me chase after ya, try to get the drop on me… but the plan blew up in their faces. They didn’t expect Handsome Jack to have a few tricks up…”

As Jack was going on, Rhys winced.

Now he understood…

Jack saved him.

Running over, Rhys slid onto the bed and hugged Jack around the abdomen, trembling. He had been so scared… he still was, actually, still trying to remember everything… and he craved the warmth that stemmed from the man who had rescued him.

He wanted to remember.

He wanted to feel safe.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Jack was a bit taken aback as the cyborg had leaped forth and wrapped his arms around him. “…guts… blown all… over… the… uh…” the CEO’s voice trailed off, looking at his Vice President in mild confusion. “…Rhys?”

The cyborg was trembling, clinging to him as if he were trying to avoid an open airlock. “’m scared…” he whispered, voice shaking.

“Scared of what? You’re in Handsome Jack’s penthouse, Rhysie! It can’t get any safer than this!” Jack patted him on the back. “Anything sparking in that memory bank of yours?”

Rhys shook his head. “…just remember being in danger… being scared… w-what happened?” he looked up at the CEO, while holding up his new arm. “And… w-where did I get this?”

“Ah. Well. Your old parts had been hacked by a virus, and we had to remove them to help your memory recover. Not a bad trade though, is it? Golden yellow is twenty steps up from neon blue, right?”

The cyborg only shifted closer in response. Jack sighed; he was starting to miss Rhys’ smart-ass retorts and how he’d act like a badass _before_ breaking down in desperation. Looking at him now, it reminded Jack of the times Angel would come into his room afraid, and her father having to assure her that he would blast the face off any monster who even _thought_ about eating her.

“Hey. You’re okay now.” Jack stroked Rhys’ hair—it was still messy, and he made a mental note to make sure Rhys showered and used both shampoo and conditioner. “Those assholes won’t be coming after you anytime soon. C’mon, sit up.”

Rhys obliged, sitting up and scooting closer to Jack, clinging to his arm. “You… rescued me…”

The CEO arched an eyebrow. “Uh, _yeah_. What, you think a rescue team ran in, grabbed ya, and just dumped you on my doorstep?” He flinched when Rhys wrapped his arms around him. “Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Listen, princess, I know you’re scared and your brain is a bit blank, but I have this thing about personal space!”

But the cyborg held on to him, shivering with nerves. “T-Thank you, Jack…”

“You’re welcome--- now let go of me.”

Rhys winced, his trepidations refusing to cease, but he slowly pulled away from the older man. “’m sorry… I can’t stop shaking… Outside of names, I don’t know who you are, or who I am, or what any details this weird scanner in my ECHO-eye shows me means… I don’t even know what an ECHO-eye even is! I-I have these bits and pieces of infomation in my head, but… I can’t figure it out. What’s Hyperion? What’s Pandora? Who’s Vaughn and why does this thing describe him as my friend? I… I feel like I should know, but---“

Tears were starting to well up in the young man’s eyes as he rested his forehead in his palm, struggling to think. Shit, this was really painful for him, wasn’t it? Jack often made wise-cracks that thinking would hurt Rhys’ brain, but now it looked like it was a literal thing! The kid was trying to figure out how he knew this stuff, but his memory still had holes in it.

“I… can’t… remember… why!” Rhys finished, before pulling his knees up to his chest and sobbing.

 _Dammit…_ Jack thought, rubbing his face. It was almost 2 AM, and his Vice President was in his bed, crying. The CEO looked at him; to be honest, he would be freaking out too if he had no memory of who he was (especially since he was a big frickin’ deal), and needed a bit cluing in. Plus, seeing Rhys stricken with grief was hard to see…

Sure, it wasn’t the first time he had seen Rhys miserable, but this was a different level. Someone had _hurt_ and _mentally robbed_ the kid… one of very few people the CEO had grown to trust. Considering all the betrayal he had put up with in the past, it was damn hard to earn Jack’s reliance. He would end up losing faith in people as a whole if his Vice President turned his back on him…

And right now, Rhys needed someone _he_ could trust.

Jack wrapped an arm around the cyborg’s shoulders. “You’ll remember soon, pumpkin. Don’t strain yourself,” he assured him in a soft tone, rubbing his flesh arm as he let the younger man lean into him. “If you need help filling in the gaps, I can give you a few hints. For one thing, Hyperion is the company you’re Vice President of. You work alongside me--- which is a pretty high position.”

“And… P-Pandora?”

“Ehhh… kind of a trash planet. Filled with bandits, psychos, and shitty towns. Let’s just say it’s the last place you’d want to remember.”

“W-What about Vaughn?”

Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “Ehhh… honestly, you may have to recall that on your own, since you’ve known him longer than I have. To me, he’s pretty much a nerd. Though I will say this, he cares a hell of a lot about you. Wouldn’t back down to help rescue your ass, even when a gun was pointed at his face--- and as much as that happened, the guy was willing to stain his pants than lose you.”

“What about my ECHO-eye? My arm? …How did I even get them in the first place?”

Jack chuckled, patting his shoulder. “I’ll fill you in on the tech stuff tomorrow, princess. For now, the both of us need some sleep.”

“I… I can’t sleep…” Rhys murmured, looking down at his hands. “I’m still shaken, a-and I’m going to be up all night thinking and thinking until I figure out everything and…”

The older man shook his head, having to grin. “Alright. I can see where this is going. You can stay in here with me. …Heh, to be honest, you’re not the first one who wanted to share a bed with Handsome Jack.”

The cyborg looked at him curiously, cocking his head. “Who was the first?”

Jack rolled his eyes. Damn, he _really_ missed Rhys’ smart remarks. “Never mind. Just try to get some sleep,”

Rhys nodded, his expression still lost. Jack began to lay down, but the cyborg remained sitting up, as if deep in thought.

“Rhys. Lay down. C’mon. It’s late,”

‘I-I know… I’ll sleep, soon.” The Vice President hugged his knees, resting his chin on top of them. “Just… m-my heart is still racing. It’s still scary, not knowing… once I calm down, I-I’ll be able to sleep. I think.”

The CEO sighed, sitting back up and--- ignoring his comment about personal space from earlier--- wrapped his arms around Rhys, letting the younger man rest his head against his chest. The cyborg paused a beat, but hugged him back; seeking comfort so desperately, he climbed onto Jack’s lap! “Hey, now!”

“Sorry… just…” Rhys whispered, but didn’t finish as he closed his eyes, listening to the older man’s heartbeat. His trembling slowed, as the newfound warmth helped calm his nerves.

The older man shook his head, but rubbed his Vice President’s back, deciding that if being the kid’s ‘cuddle buddy’ would help with his mental therapy, he could put his pride on hold for the night. (Not to mention, it would be a fun story to keep bringing up at the office: “No, seriously! I was trying to get some work done, and the kid just kept clinging to me like a security blanket! Right, Rhysie??” Oh, he could see his little VP blushing now…)

Of course, that would just to save face. He liked being the hero… and being Rhys’ hero by holding him and freeing him from a bit of fear was something he felt they both enjoyed at the moment.

It was a moment… that was soon interrupted.

“Handsome Jack! Rhys isn’t in---!” Came a holler as Vaughn burst in!

Rhys gasped and clung to Jack tightly, and the CEO gave the accountant _the most vicious death glare he had ever given in his entire life._

Vaughn paused, backing away. “Er, um…”

“Vaughn?” Rhys looked over, calming down a bit.

The accountant turned his attention to his bro. “Rhys! You remember!”

“O-Only a little… What’s wrong?”

“Well… I-I woke up, and I went to check on you, but when I saw you weren’t in your room, I-I kinda panicked. I ran in here to tell Jack, and… well, turns out you’re okay.”

“…And you’re going to go back to your room and tell yourself this was all just a dream. Right?!” Jack ‘persuaded’.

“Um, of course, sir.”

Jack turned to Rhys, giving a nod to the door. “You can go with him, pumpkin.”

“Okay,” Rhys replied, reluctantly sliding off Jack’s lap and off the bed, walking over to Vaughn. He looked back at the CEO on his way out. “…Thank you, again.”

Jack smirked, giving a shrug before laying back. As the door clicked shut, he looked up at the ceiling, having to chuckle as he imagined Vaughn repeatedly apologizing for barging in on the two of them, perhaps considering moving into a whole new apartment out of fear of facing Jack’s wrath… not that the CEO had reason to do anything, considering the runt would probably keep his mouth shut. Plus, he was willing to wake up Handsome Jack in the dead of night just because he was worried something happened to Rhys… that took a lot of guts.

Nah, he wouldn’t harm the shrimp for caring about his best friend.

…

He sure wished he could have held Rhys a little longer, though.


	2. Filling In the Gaps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: Would Jack really hire Vault Hunters to help rescue Rhys?
> 
> Answer: For a Rhack fic? HELL YES.
> 
> ...that is my argument and I am sticking to it.

Vaughn spent the next half hour explaining to Rhys how he became Vice President, why he was a cyborg, and retelling the story of how they first met. It reminded him of the old days, when they would go out for a few drinks and Rhys would get hammered; Vaughn was always the designated driver, and of course had to explain what all the cyborg had done--- sometimes he would make something up just to joke around, but in the end filled him in.

But this was different. Rhys wasn’t slumped over on the table with a hangover. He was sitting at the end of the bed across from the shorter man, hugging his knees with a look of confusion. He kept asking Vaughn for details, claiming he felt ‘gaps’ in his mind, and the accountant could only share everything he could.

“I’m sorry… I don’t quite remember any of this. I mean, the images are there…” Rhys tapped his head with his flesh finger. “But I don’t really know how they got there--- if that makes sense.”

“So it’s kind of like looking at social media after getting wasted, huh?” Vaughn guessed, then snapped his fingers. He grabbed his ECHO-tablet, pulling up his image gallery. “Maybe looking at some pictures will help!”

Rhys crawled next to him, looking at the screen. There were pictures of them in a cafeteria, another of them at a bar, one of Rhys flirting with a woman--- the next picture showed a large masculine man standing behind him, and the last one was of him sitting at the bar with a black eye. With every picture, Vaughn gave him a quick summary of what had happened.

The last picture was of the two of them taking a selfie together; Rhys was wearing a new blazer and a nametag with his name and VP title, and Vaughn giving a thumbs up. “I… think I remember this one a little…” The cyborg stated, staring at the picture. “This was… um… after I got promoted. Right?”

“Yeah! We were all proud of you… and a little surprised that Handsome Jack hand-picked you to be his Vice President.” Vaughn replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “You actually started out as his personal assistant… and one day he just promoted you. Before then, I-I was worried that he was---“

“…using me as his personal punching bag. I remember you telling me that before.” Rhys rubbed his head, thinking back. “Yeah… you said that if he did anything to me, you’d have my back.” He looked at Vaughn in confusion. “Does that mean… Jack isn’t a good guy?”

Vaughn shushed him, looking at the door. “It’s… kind of complicated. Honestly, since you’ve worked closer to him than I have, I think it would be better if you remembered that on your own. I-I just know him by reputation and… during the rescue mission.”

“Rescue mission…?”

“Yeah, when we went to find you.” Vaughn set his tablet aside, leaning back. “Jack was going around, questioning EVERYONE in Hyperion--- and I mean from the higher ups straight down to the janitor--- demanding what had happened to you and why there was a ransom note in his email files. After learning you had been kidnapped, I volunteered myself to help him find you--- I-I’m not really the strongest when it comes to fighting, but I wanted to help in any way that I could. Jack at first refused, but… well…”

“Well… what?”

Vaughn gulped, as if he was suddenly realizing something. “I… I-I actually snapped at him. Heh. I-I snapped at Handsome Jack! Yeah, I told him that you were my best friend, and I’d rather risk my neck getting you back than just sit on the sidelines. I think I threatened to freeze his accounts if he refused! I-I don’t know… after we got to Pandora, we were practically shot at by bandits, chased by Psychos--- my face almost became some creep’s ‘skin pizza’, and I think I pissed myself a few times.

“I felt ashamed… I was on a rescue mission to save you, but I felt like I was dead weight. Jack kept criticizing me, telling me that he ‘didn’t want his VP having a bitch-fit because he let his bestie get killed’… that is, until he realized I could help set up the ‘negotiations’. I did a bit of computer work at a base, finding some hidden files that we could use to persuade some bandits into revealing who had taken you and where you were.

“It… got messy after that. H-Honestly, I can’t recall all the details. The bandits tried to double cross us, but Jack already made it his plan to double-cross them, there was a lot of shooting… but in the end we got the information we needed. We learned you were meeting with someone on a base in Triton Flats about a deal with Jakobs, but it turned out to be a trap. Originally, Jack was supposed to go, but his schedule was packed so you---“

“…offered to go in his place.” Rhys finished. His memory was starting to clear up. He was meeting with a supposed ‘business partner’, only to get his drink spiked. “My drink was spiked, and I ended up blacking out!”

“Yeah… and they had you sent to Pandora to be sold in an underground auction. T-They were going to hand you over to a Bandit Lord, Vallory, a-and wipe your memory so she could use your echo-implants. Actually… I was scared that you had been poisoned, a-and then scared that they would just rip out your cybernetic parts, and…” Vaughn let out a breath, turning to his friend and ending up hugging him tight. “I’m glad you’re safe. Did I mention that?”

Rhys paused, smiling a bit as he patted his friend on the back. “Thanks… I think… I can sort of remember what happened next. I had tried to escape… I was being chased, and ended up surrounded… then suddenly there was a crash, and gunshots were being fired.”

Vaughn nodded. “That was Jack. He ordered me to stay behind, and he stormed in with some Vault Hunters he had hired to assist with the job. When he found you… well, you were in bad shape.”

Rhys nodded. “He was the last one I saw before I passed out.”

“I think he told the Vault Hunters to keep eyes and ears out for anyone else who had a hand in the kidnapping.”

“He mentioned saying it was a plot by a rival company… yeah… they must have been targeting Jack. When they got me, they probably figured to play a game of ransom—Jack would probably try to meet up for the exchange, but end up getting ambushed, but he had a different plan.”

“Yeah… he refused to pay ransom for you, and just made some calls, got a team together, and went from one planet to the next to get you back.” Vaughn looked out the door, across the living room where Jack’s room was. “To be honest… I didn’t think he cared that much about you.”

Rhys looked at the door to Jack’s room as well. As his memory was slowly starting to piece back together, he could understand Vaughn’s surprise. He turned to his friend, resting a hand on his shoulder as he gave him a smile. “Thank you. I’m glad you two came for me,”

“Never expect otherwise,” Vaughn raised his hand in a fist-bump. “Bros?”

Rhys looked, his memory clear enough to know how a fist-bump worked. “Bros.”

Vaughn lied back. “Well, goodnight bro,”

Rhys followed suit. “You too, bro.”

The two looked at each other, each smirking. “Bro,”

“Bro,”

“Bro, bro, bro, bro, bro, bro, bro---!” They both started saying back and forth, their voices getting a little louder with every ‘bro’.

“HEY! IT’S TWO IN THE FUCKING MORNING! GO TO SLEEP!” came Jack’s bellow, making the two jump.

The accountant and cyborg looked at each other, quickly crawling under the covers and deciding they could talk more in the morning. Within the next few minutes, the two drifted to sleep.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_They sat on the shuttle back to Helios. Rhys looked like a wreck--- passed out, covered in bruises, bleeding, and as pale as a corpse. Vaughn sat next to him, holding his flesh hand and trembling, tears running down his face._

_Jack sat across from them, on his ECHO-device talking to one of the Vault Hunters. “I want you guys to hunt down anyone associated with this kidnap-job. I’m talking that Jakob’s CEO, their posse, their secretary, their mistress--- anyone remotely connected, let them know what happens when you take something from Handsome Jack.” With that, he hung up, letting out a sigh._

_He looked at his Vice President. It was a miracle they managed to find him in time. They had put on a charade with the ‘potential buyers’, and after a fight so gory that even his blood-sucking grandmother would faint, carved out an eyeball or two, and used them for the retina scanners to get access into the building._

_Just in time to see Rhys surrounded. Jack didn’t hesitate to fire the first blast, and the fight was on. He spotted someone trying to drag the VP away, but he threw a grenade behind them--- far enough back to burn the back of the bandit’s hide, but not cause Rhys any harm. After that he lost sight of him, and it took a lot of shooting and stabbing before the area was clear enough for him to find him._

_He had been curled up in a corner, having watched the violent display from behind a crate. “Rhys! Fuck, kiddo, are you okay?!” Jack had asked, kneeling in front of him._

_Rhys had looked at him, a mix of confusion and relief on his face, until he passed out._

_Looking at him now, Jack couldn’t help but worry that he might not wake up…_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

If there was one downside to being a light sleeper, it was that you couldn’t have anyone sleeping over. Not that Jack had much experience in that sort of thing. The only ones he ever had in his home at night were women: a few hot dates, his wife (now ex), and his Angel. Anyone else would have been an intruder and end up shot in the face.

When you’ve made a few enemies, and spent the last few years sleeping alone, you end up having enhanced hearing in the dead of night. It came in handy in case someone broke in… but it was a pain in the ass when two of your guests stayed up talking, their conversation ending with saying ‘bro’ over and over again until you finally yelled at them to shut up.

He sighed, rubbing his face as the silence settled back in. Now that the calamity had been over for a good 24 hours, he finally felt the aches and pains from his wounds starting to flare up. _Shit._ He thought, and walked over to his bathroom, taking a couple painkillers. While he was up, he realized he never really got a decent shower in--- they had been cleaned and sterilized at the hospital, but his hair was a bit matted, and he smelled like a skag.

He locked the door, taking off his mask and looking at his scarred face. Shit, he really needed cleaning up--- he was starting to grow a thin beard, and a bit of dirt and grime managed to slip beneath his mask somehow. He gave himself a quick shave, then took a hot shower, washing his hair, face, and rinsing his body clean of the bacteria that had remained from the mission. At least this way, only Rhys and Vaughn would be arguing over who hogged all the hot water once they got up.

Afterwards, he changed into a sleeveless T-shirt and shorts, not really bothering with pajamas in case he had to get dressed in the morning and head to the office. He had told Meg to cancel his agenda until he got back, and he knew for a fact that he would be dealing with a few angry calls, have to go in for some reason or other, and… fuck, maybe he should have taken Rhys’ advice last month and booked a vacation.

Lying back down in bed, he set his mask in his nightstand drawer. Sleeping with it on was always uncomfortable, and it wasn’t like anyone was going to see him without it on until the morning anyway.

…

Someone was going to see him without it on, weren’t they?

That became the case when, a few minutes after he shut his eyes, there came a light gasp from the doorway, and he looked to see Rhys standing there, looking at him in shock.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“Rhys? What th--- I thought I told you two to go to sleep!” Jack snapped.

“Jack… what… what happened to your face?” Rhys whispered. He could not help but stare in disbelief. Had something happened to Jack in the small span of time he was gone? But damage that bad would have caused a commotion!

The older man scowled at him. “That new eye of yours must be glitching, my face is perfectly fine.”

He was lying… Rhys wasn’t sure how he knew, but Jack was lying. At the same time, though, he felt he should go along with the act. “Oh… okay.”

“What are you still doing up?”

Rhys rubbed his arm. He had tried to fall asleep, he really did, but the problem was… “Vaughn started snoring. I couldn’t fall asleep.”

Jack paused, listening. “ _That’s_ Vaughn snoring? Geez, I thought it was trucks down-shifting on the highway!”

“Is it okay if I sleep in here?”

The CEO sighed, rubbing his face. It was almost 3 in the morning, he was tired, and quite frankly he just wanted to get to sleep already. “Sure, offer’s still on the table, kitten.”

“Kitten?” Rhys walked over, arching an eyebrow as he crawled under the covers.

“Sure, it’s one of my nicknames for ya, Rhysie. Kitten, princess, cupcake, babe, kiddo… I got a million of ‘em.”

Rhys thought for a moment; he did recall the older man calling him such things… in his memory, he was always annoyed, but right now he kind of liked them.

Jack liked down, his back to him. “Now, get some sleep. If I have to stay up for five more minutes, I’m going to be in a bitch-choking mood in the morning. …I’m not even kidding, I’ve lost a lot of underlings who didn’t get out of my way fast enough when I lost a night of sleep.”

The cyborg thought for a moment. “That’s because… you always stay up late doing work. I think… yeah, I’ve told you that it was unhealthy, and you told me to shut up and just get you your damn coffee.”

“Heh, sounds like your brain is getting back to normal… now how about following your own advice and---“

“I remember telling you your scar is cool.”

Jack paused, looking over his shoulder. “What?”

The cyborg closed his eyes, an image coming to mind; he had seen Jack’s scarred face before… his mask had been pulled off when a hired assassin had broken into the office; the fight didn’t even last ten minutes, but the mask had ended up temporarily lost. Jack had sworn Rhys to secrecy and ordered him to find it… during the search, Rhys had said the scar looked cool, but Jack claimed there was nothing cool about it, because…

“…it’s a symbol of a bad memory…” Rhys whispered. Jack was giving him a look, and he pulled the blankets up to his chin, suddenly feeling like he had said the wrong thing. “…S-Sorry… I’ll be quiet now…”

Jack turned on his side, looking at him. “Hold it… you remember all that? That was--- shit, I don’t even know how long ago that was.”

“Yes… I… I kept it secret, but I had always wanted to see you without your mask again.”

The older man looked at him, arching an eyebrow. “Seriously. You wanted to look at _this?”_

Rhys nodded. “It’s cool… I don’t know how to explain it, but… it’s just cool.”

Jack scoffed, shaking his head. “Well, that’s a thorough opinion.”

“I’ll keep it secret. Don’t worry.” The cyborg smiled, winking with his ECHO-eye. “It’s just a glitch, anyway.”

“Heh, no kidding. I think it’s messing with you brain, too.” The older man patted him on the shoulder. “Alright. Sleep. Now. Sweet dreams, princess.”

Shifting closer, Rhys snuggled into his chest while the CEO’s arm was outstretched, hugging him once more. “Goodnight, _prince charming_.”

“Hey, where’d that come from? …and FYI, I’m more of a ‘king’,”

Rhys only smiled to himself, chuckling lightly. “Whatever you say…” And with that, he drifted to sleep, feeling relaxed in the man’s warmth.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Jack looked at Rhys a moment, but found himself hugging his VP once he drifted to sleep. He was relieved… it seemed like his little fanboy was starting to remember who he was and more.

Only thing he was still forgetting was to keep something secret, apparently.

Not that it mattered right now. At this rate, Rhys’ memory would be back in full, and chances are he would be a flustered mess; maybe Jack could have a bit of fun teasing him about it, in case the VP didn’t remember tonight.

…though, Jack hoped he would remember everything. He didn’t want to be the only one with this moment stored with care within his mind.

Maybe, every once in a while, he would wear his mask less. Just in front of Rhys.

Closing his eyes, he fell asleep, keeping the younger man snuggled securely in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna just keep this as a two-parter... buuuuuuut I may add a third chapter ;)


	3. Memory Restored

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the last chapter! Honestly, it would be a temptation to make this story a lot longer, via making it to where each day Jack and Vaughn (plus others) would have to help Rhys remember everything, and during the process Rhys would show feelings towards Jack that he had originally kept buried... buuuuuut I don't have that kind of time or creativity, nor did I want this to feel like a "Fifty First Dates" or "The Notebook" sort of deal. 
> 
> Plus, I just wrote this for the fluff. Long live the fluff! 
> 
> *little fluffy kitten runs by* (mew!)
> 
> ...And with that said, on to the conclusion!

_“Remind me to shoot my secretary, later.”_

_Rhys turned and looked at Handsome Jack. Currently, his partner was hunched over his desk rubbing his temples, absolutely aggravated. The Vice President could understand--- from the moment they clocked in, they had been bombarded with meetings, conference calls, emergency reports from R &D, assassination attempts, malfunctioning prototypes… and somehow a radioactive squirrel got loose in the cafeteria (rumors state it was supposed to be next week’s lunch special). _

_The headache really kicked in when they realized it wasn’t even 10 o’clock yet._

_Safe to say, if Jack didn’t get some sort of reprieve soon, he was going to end up strangling someone or break something. “Why? What do you have scheduled?” Rhys asked, walking over._

_“That pea-brain ended up setting up a private meeting with Jakobs on Triton Flats at 11:00 this morning… and I’ve already been booked for a conference call with one of the higher-ups at 11:15! Stupid, frickin… I swear, she just spends her time playing those damn computer games rather than focusing on how to manage my time.” He rubbed his face. “I’d airlock her if I could find better help…”_

_The VP thought for a moment before giving a shrug. “I’ll do it. I’ll go to the meeting in your place,”_

_Jack looked at him. “You sure about that, pumpkin? I mean, when folks expect to meet with Handsome Jack and he doesn’t show up, they get pretty pissed. As in, ‘shoot first, ask later’ levels of pissed.”_

_“I’m PRETTY SURE they would think twice about messing with the CEO’s Vice President--- it would be shitty business manner to end up maiming/killing Handsome Jack’s second-in-command. If they feel like they’re too good to run things by_ me _first, then whatever they’re trying to sell isn’t worth our time; now if they’re willing to practically BEG me to relay back to you, then the deal will be worth talking about.”_

_Jack scoffed, smirking. “I like your charisma, kiddo. Alright, it’s probably about some new tech anyway--- you love checking that stuff out, and you’ve got the eye for it… pun totally intended, heh.”_

_Rhys rolled his eyes, but had to grin. “Funny. You just leave it to me. Tell them that you’re sending me in your place, and I’ll be there on time. Just gotta swing by my apartment and change, first.” he motioned to his vest--- which had remains of God-knows-what from R &D staining it. “Can’t go there looking like I just crawled out of a kraggon’s ass.”_

_“No kidding. …Just don’t take too long picking out your socks, alright princess? Can’t keep ‘em waiting too long,”_

_“Heh, lucky for you, working here has taught me how to get dressed in five minutes and still look good--- socks and all,”_

_Jack gave him a smooth grin, waggling his eyebrows. “Oh yeah, I agree with you on that, kitten.”_

_Rhys blushed, giving him a nod before walking out the door. “I-I’ll be back after the meeting. See ya!”_

_The CEO chuckled to himself. One of the best perks about having Rhys as his partner was that he could somehow get the cyborg flustered; managing to make the younger man blush and act sheepish always was a highlight to his day--- he could be in the worst of moods (and God help the unfortunate person who was too close to him during those times), yet seeing his fanboy act like a school girl talking to her crush would make his anger melt away in a heartbeat._

_The conference call would be a drag, he could already feel, and chances are something down in R &D would probably escape or explode; with all this in mind, he hoped the meeting would be short and Rhys would be back quick and make the day go by a little easier. Maybe they could do lunch if he got back in time. Handsome Jack’s loyal VP needed a little reward for taking some stress off his shoulders. _

_…_

_When it was time to punch out and Rhys had yet to return, Jack started asking everyone around Hyperion where Rhys was; it wasn’t until he got the ransom email that he realized he would be owing the cyborg a lot more than lunch._

_He just prayed he was still alive…_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_Rhys scanned the case. There was nothing good in there, except for an old rifle that dealt minimal damage and did not hold enough ammo._

_The drink he had tasted weird, too, like it had no flavor at all. Almost like water, but not._

_When realization dawned on him, he quickly took out his torch, but his cybernetics suddenly shut down; he was blind in one eye and could only use one arm. Still, with the remaining strength he had, he tried to fight his way out and contact help._

_Something got shoved into his ECHO-port. He felt his mind shutting down. ‘Jack… save me…’ was his last thought before everything went black._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“…nngh… ack… sff mm…”

Jack opened his eyes; his alarm clock said it was only 6:30 AM… he still had half an hour to sleep in before work, what the hell was making him wake up this early?

“hhmmp… gnack…. Ah knee oo…”

He felt something reverberating on his chest, and the CEO looked to see Rhys had his face buried in his shirt--- the cyborg was clinging to him in his sleep.

Ah. That’s right. He was letting Rhys and Vaughn sleep over.

…not that it felt they had gotten any sleep at all. Hell, his VP was asleep now, and still looked ragged! The CEO shifted, moving a bit so that at least the younger man wasn’t getting drool on his shirt. “Jack… save me…” the cyborg murmured in his slumber, his words heard a little more clearly now that his face wasn’t muffled by fabric. “Help… Jack, I need you…”

Jack looked, seeing Rhys was having a bad case of REM. Whatever was going through his head right now was anything but a wet dream. He wrapped one arm around his shoulders, the other tucked under the younger man’s head as his hand reached up and stroked his (still messy) hair, the CEO calming him. “Shh, it’s alright buttercup. Your hero’s right here,” he assured, rubbing his VP’s back--- damn the kid felt so small in his arms. “Handsome Jack saved the day. You’re safe.”

“Jack… mmf.” Rhys nuzzled against him, his head resting on the older man’s broad shoulder. “’m scared…”

“It’s okay, Rhys.” Jack patted his back, shifting a bit so that he could pull the cyborg as close as possible, making sure his warmth spread to the younger man. “I’m right here.”

Rhys opened his eyes a bit, waking up. He made a soft whimpering sound, feeling his body aching. “Everything hurts…”

“Just relax, babe. I’ll take care of you,” As if to give him some extra reassurance, Jack kissed him on the forehead. “You’ll be okay,”

The cyborg let out a gentle hum, the feel of soft lips on his forehead soothing to him. He nuzzled against Jack’s neck, burying his face in the crook of it. The CEO chuckled softly, not only because Rhys’ breath tickled a bit, but also because the gesture was quite adorable.

…

So when are these two going to snap awake and---

“WHOA! WHAT THE---?!”

Ah, there we go.

Rhys was the one who gave the outburst, as he realized that everything felt _too_ warm and comfortable to be a dream, and found that he was--- indeed--- snuggled against Handsome Jack. He sat up quick, his heart racing. “Jack?! What the…?! When the…?! Why am I in your bed?!” he sputtered.

“Good morning to you too, cupcake.” Jack replied, being the least stunned of the situation. He propped himself up on his elbow, looking up at his VP (who at this moment looked like he had just survived a car crash.) “Don’t you remember anything from last night?”

“L-Last night…?”

“Your brain was a total blank, but your memory was clearing up a bit. Or are you just suffering from some sort of long-term memory loss?”

Rhys took a deep breath, calming himself down so he could think. Oh yeah, he recalled blacking out back at the scam of a meeting. Most of his mind was still fuzzy, but he managed to remember waking up sometime in the middle of the night and coming into Jack’s room and---

Oh. Dear. Lord.

Jack smirked as Rhys felt his face heat up. “…You remember, don’t ya?”

The cyborg clutched the blankets, his embarrassment rising. “Did I…?”

“Yep.”

“And you…?”

“Definitely.”

“Vaughn?”

“Ruined the moment, of course.”

“And then I came back and…?”

“Pretty much.”

Rhys groaned, putting his face in his hands. He was never going to live this down, was he? He looked at Jack. “…did you honestly just kiss me a moment ago?”

“Why, you want another one?”

Letting out an embarrassed whine, the cyborg pulled the blankets over his head and curled up. Damn, he wished he could just forget everything (again) and be spared from the humiliation. He shut his eyes tight, thinking about what all had happened last night--- acting like a scared little kid, running to Jack, hugging him, getting startled when Vaughn raced in, coming back to Jack’s room later on… cuddling up to him…

He could just imagine what kind of stories the CEO would be telling everyone at the office now. “Oh, yeah, the kid was going to wet the bed unless I rocked him to sleep!” he would probably say. Fuck, if Vasquez found out…!

The blankets were tugged upward a bit as Jack slipped under the covers, wrapping his arms around him. “So, you really think my scar is cool, huh?” the older man whispered.

Rhys blushed deeper, wincing. Oh, shit, he had brought up Jack’s scar! “I’m sorry…” he gulped, cringing. This was it. He was going to lose his position, maybe get fired, his parts repossessed--- hell, maybe just straight up killed and having his body strung up as a warning to the next VP who got on the CEO’s bad side!

Jack rested his chin on his shoulder. “It’s fine, Rhys. You’re not in trouble for liking Handsome Jack with or without his mask, heh.”

The cyborg remained still. The CEO was being very affectionate, and he had to wonder if this wasn’t just some sort of kafka dream, or if there was a glitch in his cybernetics that was causing him to see the situation differently. But it felt so real… “I-I’m not…?”

“Nah. Kind of flattering to be honest, though just keep it to yourself, alright? It can be our little secret. Plus, you’ve been in enough hot water, and right now…” Jack held his hand, interlocking their fingers. “I’m just glad you’re alright. I was worried you’d either end up dead or a living vegetable,”

Rhys examined the older man’s hand, finding it was so much larger and stronger than his own, yet held his hand so gently. Not only that, but his tone was calm and soothing, rimmed with relief and enthusiasm. _He was actually worried?_ The cyborg thought in mild surprise as he turned his head a bit to look at him a moment. He shut his eyes a bit, exchanging the interlocking grip. “I didn’t think you cared,”

“Hey, of course I do! You know how hard it is to find a VP I can trust, let alone one who just risked getting his memory wiped because of a kidnapping scheme?” Jack pushed the blanket off the top of their heads, both of them sitting up but still holding hands. “Seriously, Rhys. There is no way in hell I was going to just let ‘em take you away. I… don’t handle loss very well.” He cleared his throat. “But, yeah. I care about ya, kiddo. …And for God’s sake, take some backup with you next time! I thought I taught you that after the third assassination attempt we had to deal with during your first week on the job!”

“I-I was going to ask Vaughn to come with, but he was busy. …Did you really let him come with you on the rescue mission?”

“Yeah,” Jack nodded, having to scoff. “Your friend in there is kind of a weakling, but push him hard enough and he’ll show some backbone, I’ll give him that much. Came in handy with finding a way to bargain, too. You’re lucky to have such a loyal friend, babe.”

Rhys caressed the top of Jack’s hand with his thumb, feeling how rough it was and finding it fascinating that something that could be so violent could also be so tender. “I’m lucky to have both of you,” he looked at Jack, bright blue eyes peering into mix-matched ones. “Thank you for saving me,”

Jack smiled, running his free hand through Rhys’ hair. “It’s what heroes do, kiddo.” He let go of his hand and held out his arms, inviting his VP into another hug. The cyborg accepted, wrapping his arms around his large shoulders, and the CEO noticed that his cybernetic-arm was a lot stronger in the hug. “Whoa, easy with that iron-arm, Rhysie!”

“Heh, you’re one to talk… you’ve got _two_ strong arms,” Rhys kept his head rested on the older man’s shoulder, the thought of humiliation not crossing his mind this time as he was very much enjoying the warm embrace. He gasped a bit when Jack squeezed him. “H-Hey!”

“Strong enough for you, princess?”

Rhys gave him a look, smirking. “Oh plenty, _prince charming…_ ah!”

Jack had pulled Rhys onto his lap, cupping his chin between his fingers. “I see your cocky attitude is back. Better watch it, Rhysie.”

The cyborg scoffed a bit. “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy it, ‘Jackie’,”

The CEO feigned a hiss. “Ooh, kitten, you are going to regret that~!”

“Ha! I have no regrets,” Rhys let out a soft sigh, leaning into his partner more, his flesh hand caressing one of the strong arms that remained wrapped around him. “None at all…”

“Oh really?” Jack looked at him, their foreheads touching. “None?”

Rhys closed his eyes, tilting his head up more. “Nah…”

Their lips brushed together---

“Hey, are you two awake---?” came Vaughn’s voice.

Everyone froze. Rhys quickly tilted his head to block Jack’s face from view, while giving Vaughn a look that clearly said, ‘ _Bro, do you mind?!’_

Vaughn paused, and very quickly backed away. “Er, um… never mind. I’m, um… I’ll go start the coffee!” with that, he made the wise choice of leaving the two alone.

“Don’t you guys know how to knock?!” Jack groused. “Geez, if that guy keeps barging in like that…!”

Rhys rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling a bit. “Don’t worry about it. Vaughn knows how to keep quiet. I think he’ll just tease me about it when we’re alone,” he began to get up. “Well, might as well get up--- oof!”

Jack wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him back onto the mattress. Without hesitation, he kissed him on the lips. “Don’t think I was going to let that opportunity slip by, Rhysie… and we’ve still got fifteen minutes until my alarm goes off. Therefore, we got time before we have to officially start the day,”

Rhys smiled, his heart fluttering. “Only fifteen minutes? What could we do in that short amount of time?”

The CEO wrapped his arms around him, making sure there wasn’t an inch of space between them. “Let’s just say, it’ll be the best fifteen minutes you’ll ever have in your life,”

“Jack…” Rhys blushed, flustered.

“Heh, don’t worry, kitten. _That_ sort of stuff would need more than fifteen minutes to enjoy--- plus, your body is still healing up, and I don’t want to break it… yet.” When Rhys blushed deeper, Jack caressed his face, giving him a tender kiss. “Heh, just kidding. But seriously, let’s just enjoy the here and now, okay?”

The VP smiled, before snuggling up against him once more, finding he was growing addicted to being so close to Handsome Jack. “Okay,”

They lay there for several minutes, Rhys dosing off; with his ECHO-eye he peeked over, noticing Jack unplug the alarm clock. He shut his eyes and smiled, enjoying every second.

It was a moment neither of them would ever forget… no matter what virus was created.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Vaughn peeked in twenty minutes later, keeping quiet as he saw his best friend and their boss wrapped up in a comfortable embrace (he decided he wouldn’t ask about Jack’s face, just for the sake of his life). He walked over to the kitchen, pouring himself some coffee while letting out a sigh of relief.

He was always worried about Rhys and the situations he got into, and even now he still felt a little cautious about what kind of relationship his bro was in now… but after seeing how determined Jack was to get him back, as well as the raw concern that only Vaughn was lucky enough to notice, he had a feeling his best friend was going to be in good hands.

Otherwise, he would just have to carry out his threats to Jack if Rhys got his heart broken. He may not be the strongest at fighting, but he would figure out something to make anyone regret messing with his bro’s feelings.

Though he had a feeling he wouldn’t have to worry about that any time soon.

**END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vaughn is a great bro and he deserves more appreciation. ^-^
> 
> ALRIGHT, PEEPS! Leave me some comments and let me know what you thought of this little three-part fic! What parts did you like? What parts did you hate? Was there any scenes that you feel could have been written better, or areas where a character should have reacted differently? I appreciate the feedback and constructive criticism! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Part Two coming soon ;)


End file.
